Patent TW-201224554-A (TW)
Title: Optical connector for assembling in the field
Inventor: CHOI AN-JOON
IPC: G02B6/36
Filed: 2011-01-28
Abstract: Provided is an in-situ assembly-type optical connector including a ferrule having an optical fiber disposed in a center thereof; a connector housing; a plug having a receiving part with one side inserted into and coupled to the connector housing, and a top-open boot part integrally formed with the plug and having a threaded part formed at an outer circumference of the one side of the receiving part to press and fix the optical cable; an optical connection member inserted into and fixed to the plug to connect the optical fiber of the ferrule inserted into a front end side thereof and an optical fiber of the optical cable inserted into a rear end side; a boot part cover having a threaded part formed at an outer circumference thereof to correspond to the threaded part, and vertically pivotally fastened to the plug at the boot part side to open/close an open top side of the boot part and fix the optical cable together with the boot part; and a screw cap threadedly engaged with the boot part and the boot part cover to fix the optical cable inserted into the boot part and the boot part cover, wherein the optical connection member includes a ferrule insertion part formed at a front side, an optical fiber insertion part formed at a rear side, an optical connection housing integrally formed between the ferrule insertion part and the optical insertion part and having a top-open optical fiber connection part with an optical fiber connection groove in which the optical fiber of the ferrule and the optical fiber of the optical cable are connected to each other, an optical fiber housing cover fastened to the optical fiber connection part at an upper side to cover the optical fiber connection part and press the optical fibers connected to each other in the optical fiber connection groove, and an optical connection housing holder fastened to the optical connection housing and configured to press the optical connection housing cover such that the optical connection housing and the optical connection housing cover are surrounded by an inner circumference of the holder. The optical connection housing has a stopper formed at an outer circumference of the optical fiber insertion part to be forcedly pressed to restrict a movement range in the process of inserting the ferrule into the ferrule insertion part. Therefore, the optical fiber of the optical cable can be safely and easily inserted into the optical connection member in the optical fiber connection process, a process of assembling a separate boot for protecting the optical cable can be omitted, a coating part adjacent to the optical fiber of the connected optical cable can be securely fixed to increase an alignment effect of a core wire, the optical cables having different shapes such as a circular shape and a rectangular shape can be securely fixed, and thus, alignment connection of optical fibers and assembly of connectors can be rapidly and conveniently performed. In addition, loss of a matching agent, which is pre-filled in the optical fiber connection groove to accurately connect two optical fibers, can be prevented when the optical fibers are initially connected or re-connected. Further, loss of the matching agent can be prevented to extend the lifespan of the connector, and excessive movement of the optical connection housing toward the boot part in the ferrule insertion process can be prevented to prevent deformation and breakage of the optical fiber insertion part. Accordingly, the ferrule can be easily inserted and the optical cable fixed to the boot part can be flexibly bent when the optical fiber is connected to a connection box.